CARE!

Submitted by Teresa Fauvell
Orwin Altman Middle School 172Q
Floral Park, New York 

Currently teaching 6th grade

Has taught 7th & 9th grade in the past

  How can an educator make a difference in the life of a child who has no appropriate role models at home? This question can be asked of any adult who comes into contact with children, especially those who see children on a regular basis. So, how then, can we positively influence children who, if they follow the lead they see at home, will be embarking on a journey down very difficult paths? The answer, as I see it, is a very simple one: we must care for these and any children entrusted to us.

  The word care has various meanings. The way I use it here, it means, (according to Random House) “to watch over, be responsible for.” I also add that we should do this with affection and concern; in fact another definition of care is “cause or object of concern, worry, anxiety, distress, etc…” But there is more to care than this. Children require four additional elements, which can be remembered easily because the first letters of these form the acronym, CARE. These are Consistency, Accountability, Respect and Empathy.

 Consistency is something which children need desperately. They need to go home and not wonder what the atmosphere will be like. Since we cannot regulate the environment in their homes, we must be sure to do so in our classrooms. When children enter my room, they know what is expected of them at the tone of the bell. They know what to do if they finish their work early. They know what I will and will not tolerate. And most importantly, they know that I genuinely like them, and that I absolutely love teaching them. These feelings and this understanding is not something which is subject to my mood, or the weather, or whether or not I have a headache; this consistency is something the children need and are entitled to, on both my best and worst days.

  Accountability is tantamount to respect. In order to gain their respect, I have to show them a good model of accountability. I must have lessons planned, and the work all laid out on the board when they enter my room. In addition, I must provide feedback on homework, tests and written assignments in a timely fashion. Only once I provide the example, can I expect the same diligence in return insofar as homework, papers, studying, etc… on the part of my students. Finally, in regards to accountability, a teacher may sometimes be tempted to accept less of a student who they know has problems at home. They may think that they are doing the student a favor. But this, in the long run, will only damage the student. They will learn to expect less of themselves if we expect less of them. All students must be treated equally.

 Respect is something that we earn from our students. Once we show them how to do this, they in turn earn our respect. We have to respect them enough to answer all of their concerns thoughtfully. We have to respect them enough to agonize a little over their grades. We have to respect them enough to give them our time and full attention in the hundreds of times each week when they approach us. I’ll never forget being a student teacher in a conversation with a ninth grader, another teacher walking up and interrupting us without so much as an “Excuse me.” I was totally taken aback and didn’t know what to say. The student seemed to think nothing of it, however, and walked away. I, on the other hand, was appalled at the lack of respect shown to this young man, and I vowed I would never do such a thing or let such a thing happen to me again. Children, like all people, deserve respect.

  Empathy, the “intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another person” is difficult to give. The difficulty lies on two levels. First, in the whirlwind of a teacher’s day, it is nearly impossible to focus on the “feelings, thoughts, or attitudes” of one individual student in a group of thirty or more. Second, some of the situations our students face at home are beyond anything that we have come into contact with in our own lives. The way to handle these obstacles is to use a technique long espoused in business: the One Minute Manager system. Sometimes, all it takes is a word before or after class, or a nod, smile or eye contact, to reach a child. And just the understanding that they may go through things at home which you would never want to experience, leads to empathy for that child.

  So we see that the very simple way to make a difference in the life of a child, is to care for them. If we can combine the affection, concern and watchfulness inherent in care, along with Consistency, Accountability, Respect and Empathy, we can indeed provide examples for the youth of America to follow.

Answers To Questions For Required Reading

Q1—Comment on the 6-year-old with a telescope and his interest in abstract ideas. How unusual was he? Have you encountered students with similar focus and reasoning abilities? Discuss.

          This child was a wonderful example of what I see to be the inherent curiosity, reasoning abilities, and morality of all children. In my short tenure as a teacher, (having only taught for two years,) I have met many children with similar interests and reasoning abilities. The instance that comes immediately to mind involves my class discussions on the morning of September 13, 2001. Of course, all previously planned lessons went in the G-file as we prepared for our students’ return to school after the devastation of September 11.

I spent the morning with my classes letting them direct the discussion. They spoke about the nature of good and evil, the insanity of terrorism, bias, tolerance, and personal pain. They questioned the relevance of religion, in light of the many forms of worship of God, and the devastation carried out in His name by fanatics. They grappled with their beliefs and with the pain we all felt as a nation. They pondered the existence of a God in such an insane world, and unanimously came to the conclusion that Man perverts the message of love sent by God, and the acts of a few mad men cannot be used as evidence to decry the existence of a loving Creator.

Q2—Were you surprised to read that young children may be “ethically introspective citizens”? Discuss.

          Of course children are “ethically introspective citizens.” They just do it on a different scale than adults do. One of my students last year wrote an essay about her friends. She wrote what a true friend was and what a true friend does. I was most impressed, however, about her discussion of what a “false” friend engages in. She spoke about the child you haven’t spoken to all year, coming up to you with flowery hello’s and gushing sentiment as you stand towards the front of a long line at the snack machine in the lunchroom. She recognized and was able to verbalize very effectively the insincerity of someone who has ulterior motives for their outstretched hand. How insightful of this twelve-year-old! She will encounter many such faux friends in her lifetime; haven’t we all? But I rest assured knowing that she will know how to handle them.

Q3—Do you agree that morality can be taught in all kinds of classes? Give examples from experience.

          The greatest lesson in morality that can be taught, not only in all classes, but also in every interaction with a child, is tolerance. I’m not just speaking about religious or racial tolerance, although of course those are discussed and taught continuously. I am speaking about tolerance for all differences we, as unique individuals, possess.

          The best way to teach tolerance is in small group work. In these settings, I stress to children the importance of “multiple intelligences,” as described by Joseph Gardiner. I use myself as an example. I tell them that I was always “good at” reading and writing, so, I tell my students, I became an English teacher! However, one of my lesser abilities is in the field of artistic endeavor. I tell them that I “stink” at art, and so was always grateful when I was grouped with artistic students. Likewise, more athletic children might be capable of doing dances and other means of physical activities in a project. I tell, and demonstrate to my students that we all have things to offer; it’s just a matter of finding your own strengths.

Q4—What was meant by the phrase encountered in you required reading: “We are all moral witnesses”? Describe an instance in the classroom when you were a good moral witness.

          The required reading defines the phrase “moral witness” as one who is “stirred to contemplate this life's rights and wrongs, not always so distinctly, conveniently, categorically differentiated, the one from the other.” If we do not all become moral witnesses, we have indeed lost ourselves. As the child in this excerpt so aptly recognized, if you give in and refuse to see the evil in a situation, you become owned by that evil; you no longer belong to yourself.

          I categorize this idea of being a “moral witness” with having the courage to say and stand up for what you believe. I am a good moral witness in my classroom and in my life. I never listen to ethnic or racial “jokes” or slurs without making my displeasure known. These things are not funny, and are perpetuated because people like me, who despise them, say nothing. So I say something, as unpopular as that may be.

          One child in my class last year made a remark to another, calling him “Turban.” Now, since this second boy’s name was “Tobin,” the name “Turban” could have been seen as merely a bastardization of the pronunciation of the child’s correct name. But, since the child was of Middle Eastern descent, I saw it also as a racial slur. I made sure to tell my student, kindly, yet in no uncertain terms, that my class is one where all of our differences are not only tolerated, but valued; and that no negative comments related to any of our differences would ever be allowed in my class or in my presence. The class understood the lesson. I had no such incidents for the remainder of the year.

Q5—Define courage. Tell of a youngster who has had the courage to stand up for his/her beliefs/values.

          What is courage? Courage is the ability to stand up for what you believe in, especially if it is an unpopular thing to do.

 In my school last year there was a case of a teacher’s grade book being stolen from his desk. How many students do you think would have the courage to tell the teacher who stole their grade book? If word got out who the “fink” was, that person would be ostracized.

          Well, one boy did come forward. And others in the school did find out. This child faced the silent treatment from members of his class for a number of days, but as he did so, he just went about his own business courageously. Then, little by little, others of his peers began to tell him that they admired what he had done. I think his courage inspired others to have the courage to stand with him. 

Q6—Comment on the discussion on Courage that took place during a 4^th grade history lesson, as outlined in the required reading. Share an experience where your class spontaneously engaged in a moral analysis.

          I think the discussion on courage that took place in that classroom is a fine example of how going off on a tangent sometimes provides the best lessons in a classroom. Since 9/11, there were so many times when my class lapsed into moral analyses. The most memorable was the day following the children’s return to school.

          One of my students, Amandeep, didn’t come to school the first day we reopened after 9/11. When he came in on 9/14, I asked him where he was the day before. He told me that his mother was afraid for his safety, since he is a Hindu and wears a turban. I told him that he was safe with me, and we would never let anything happen to him. He smiled.

 Some of my students heard my exchange with Amandeep, and began to tell of acts of bias against people they know. We started to talk about racial profiling, and how wrong and unfair it is to blame a race of people for the actions of a few. For examples, we used the KKK, the Nazis, and Timothy McVey. They understood that it was wrong to blame Muslims for the terror of 9/11. They also probed the reasons for senseless acts of bias against people of Middle Eastern descent.

Q7—How is a good person described at the end of the required reading involving A Bronx Tale?

          In this excerpt, a good person is described as one who constantly challenges and reminds himself of the right thing to do. A good person is one who, although they will stumble on occasion, works at doing the “right thing.” A good person is one who fights against accepting rationalizations that can ameliorate any base action. A good person is one who constantly struggles with the moral ambiguities present in today’s world.

Q8—What should a teacher do when she/he sees a student trying to get another student in trouble or somehow disrupting the class?

          I think the best thing to do when you see a student engaging in the afore-mentioned activities is to let your disapproval be known, in the least conspicuous way. It is never my intention to embarrass or belittle any student in my class. If a child is becoming disruptive, I make eye contact with him or her. If they continue, I physically move next to them to remind them of my presence, watchfulness, and control of the situation. I do these two things in as unobtrusive a manner as possible. I don’t want this child to feel singled out, and I don’t want to interrupt the learning in my classroom.

          If the student continues to disrupt, I usually ask to speak with them after class. This will almost always end the behavior. When I follow up and talk to them after class, I make sure to give them my full attention. I ask open-ended questions, to get them talking about what was bothering them. I do my best to accommodate any needs they have, such as seating, being my “monitor,” and other things relevant to their classroom life.

          These actions on my part will usually end disruptive behavior. If they don’t, I usually get the parents involved. Working with parents who are active participants in their children’s education has never disappointed me.

Q9—The Harry Singer Foundation pilot project, Dream Machine, White Hats and Problem Solvers are based on the premise that students have the capacity to act responsibly, interact with adults in the community and make mature decisions. In light of the article by Shannon Brownlee regarding the development of the teen brain, do you think the Foundation may be giving teens too much credit?

          I don’t thing the Foundation is expecting too much from undeveloped teens. Certainly, as Ms. Brownlee purports, their brains are not fully developed, especially the areas responsible for “making sound judgments and calming unruly emotions.” However, given proper situations and stimuli, teens certainly can be directed to “act responsibly, interact with adults in the community and make mature decisions.” In fact, daring them to try different things may forge neural pathways in their developing brains that would otherwise have remained dormant.

I don’t believe Ms. Brownlee’s article, or the research it was based on, should be a deterrent to developing and challenging teenagers to reach and exceed their limits, but rather it should be another tool to consider when dealing with these young adults.

Q10—If you think your students are capable, will you engage a group in one of our pilot projects? If not, why not?

          This question gave me pause. Immediately, I thought, “Of course!” How could my answer possibly be otherwise? Any project in which my students can grow intellectually, morally, socially, and emotionally is one in which I would delight in. But then I thought about some of the “retired in place” teachers I have encountered. I specifically remember one colleague saying, when asked to engage in a library project with his classes, “I don’t want to do anything.” He was past the point of trying fresh approaches, of engaging in different activities, of encouraging his students to stretch their boundaries in new ways.

If I ever become like that, I hope someone close to me will suggest that it is time for me to leave the field of education. For now, and for the rest of my career, I say to you, wholeheartedly, “Of course!”
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